#plus like. world bosses and etc i need to be at least a bit strong. though to me hitting like 10k at MOST is already pretty good lol | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kaeyapilled · 1 year

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I've been running Kaeya and Diluc together for nearly 2 years, and I like to think their builds are pretty good. Team comps and rotations are just as important for good damage as character builds are (eg, with a good team set up, my Kaeya hits for 60k. With a bad one, he hits for 10k at most)

If you have him, Bennett is an excellent team mate for Kaeya and Diluc. If not, Barbra with thrilling tales of dragon slayers works.

As for the 4th slot, this one's pretty flexible. An anemo character like Sucrose or kazuha is best. Another cryo character like rosaria is also an option, especially when trying to boost Diluc's damage. Another pyro character like xiangling would work to boost Kaeya's damage. Sucrose is the best f2p friendly option here though.

When it comes to rotations, if Diluc is the one triggering melt he's gonna be doing the most damage. If Kaeya is triggering melt he's the one doing the damage.

Diluc's build is really straightforward. 4 piece crimson witch is basically always best (the set was designed for him). He wants crit, atk% and EM. An atk%, crit or em claymore will be good on him (although crit claymores are hard to come by f2p)

Kaeya's build is more complicated. One of his strengths is how flexible he is as a character. But that makes it more difficult to find out the best way to build him for how you use him.

Burst DPS - melt: 4 piece emblem of severed fate or 2piece blizzard and 2piece nobeless. He needs crit, Energy recharge, EM and atk%.

Burst DPS - freeze: 4 piece blizzard. He needs far less crit rate with this build, especially if you have any constalations. He needs crit DMG, energy recharge and atk%

Sub-DPS/cryo applicator - his personal damage is less important here. He just needs enough ER to get his burst back consistently. Artifact set is also less important, but 4 piece embalem would probably be best.

Physical DPS - 2 piece bloodstained and 2 piece pale flame. Or 2 piece Phys set (like pale flame) and 2 piece atk set (like gladiators final). Or (weirdly) 4 piece blizzard. If running with blizzard, he only really needs crit DMG and atk%. If using another set combination, he needs crit rate and crit DMG as well as atk%

Atk% weapons are the best bet for Kaeya as a f2p. EM may work better for a melt Kaeya, and if you have any crit swords then it makes it easier to balance crit ratios. But 5* weapons are not needed, and weapons banner is a scam.

Anyway this was really long. I'm a bit of a try hard when it comes to character building and combat lmao.

okay this is a lot of info im gonna save this for future reference.

i got bennet recently! i have him c2 i think? i haven't gotten around to building him though. i think he's still lvl 1 actually. as for barbara i have her on my team for healing and hydro support so i can freeze the enemies,, my 3rd slot (barbara is 4th lmao) is kujou sara because i wanted a bow character. even though im aware anemo would be a good choice here augh,,,,,,,,,, and rosaria! i had her on my team for a while but switched her out because i just. needed to shoot things sometimes? and wanted more elemental reactions i guess idk the thought process and i was low ar (not like im super smarter now but.. good excuse nonetheless)

+ i have a phys dmg % sword on kaeya and it works i think but i like throwing ice not just stabbing people</3 i want to give him one with the stats u said but it'll take soooo long for me to get my hands on one.

#im so bad at like. team comps and builds #it's my least favorite aspect of the game tbh i think its boring #yeah seeing the big dmg numbers is satisfying but ehhh im bad at video games #because people will be like ''you need to use this character with that one because elements and buffs and blah blah''#but im more of a playing with the characters i personally like girlie #but at the same time it's like. i need to do spiral abyss SOMETIME. i cant be floor 4 chamber 3 forever😭#plus like. world bosses and etc i need to be at least a bit strong. though to me hitting like 10k at MOST is already pretty good lol #im not complaining about ur tips though!!!!!!! i appreciate the help ill keep this in mind #save for later #anonpilled #<- not rlly. askpilled?

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prpfz · 2 months

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good day, everyone! i'm a 23 transmasc writer, looking for an 18+ partner to pair a F character against my M mafia enforcer guy! before you slam the like button expecting a stereotypical age gap smut plot, PLEASE read more about what i'm looking for! this plot is dead dove 🕊️ in some respects (i.e. gore, torture, potential abuse, etc.), and not in others.

the plot i have in mind is as follows: YC is in debt to the mob, either due to a desperate personal situation, or a family member's debts being passed onto them. regardless, she has a choice: pay back the money in full (which she doesn't have), or take on a part-time job within the family. she ends up forced into the role of a cleaner, scrubbing up the blood and viscera after people get on the wrong side of the family. MC (early 20s) is a particularly reliable enforcer, almost a right-hand man of the boss. he's a strong, silent type, with more blood on his hands than he cares to keep track of. he's forced to stay after his work is done to keep an eye on YC for the first two jobs, and they end up begrudgingly bonding. i'd love for this relationship to extend beyond just work! getting to know one another, YC helping MC out of his shell, MC helping to protect YC, etc. really allowing things to develop slowly and naturally between them. note that MC will take quite a while before warming up to anything too romantic, hence why i'm seeking to make this a slow-burn.

the vibes i'm hoping for here are a slow bonding, humanizing a 'monster,' adapting to terrible circumstances, bonding through mutual suffering, and finding some hope at the end of it all in one another. i would love a partner who's open to playing other characters on the side as needed, including friends, family, etc. a way to build the world out, really. being able to muse and discuss with me is a plus, as i work two jobs and can't get a reply out every single day. my response speed varies from once to three times per week, usually, though it may pick up a bit by the end of august. we'll see!

i write only on discord, and prefer advanced literate to novella plots (at LEAST one full discord message, but i can go upwards of five if given enough to work with). i love getting into the environment and how the characters are thinking and feeling. i do have a real life FC for him picked out that i won't be changing, nor will i be picking out one for you. YC is yours to decide! POC and trans F characters more than welcome. if you don't vibe with real life FCs, though, i'm more than willing to adapt and stick to descriptions only.

if this interests you (and you're going to contribute to plotting beyond just agreeing with everything i throw out), then please drop a like! i'll shoot you a message. when responding to it, please give me an idea about who you are as a writer and any potential ideas or questions you may have for me. thanks! 🖤

Leave a like, and anon will get back to you!

#oc roleplay #oc rp #oc x oc #m/f #dead dove

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rphunter · 2 months

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good day, everyone! i'm a 23 transmasc writer, looking for an 18+ partner to pair a F character against my M mafia enforcer guy! before you slam the like button expecting a stereotypical age gap smut plot, PLEASE read more about what i'm looking for! this plot is dead dove in some regards (i.e. gore, torture, potential abuse, etc.), and not in others.

#oc roleplay #oc rp #mxf

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novella-writers · 2 months

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Like if interested!

#oc rp #fandomless rp

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killscreencinema · 4 years

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Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP)

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I must admit, as annoying as it is that so many Kingdom Hearts games exist that seem to do nothing but muddle an already needlessly convoluted mythology, most of the little spin offs I’ve played, I actually quite enjoyed. I loved Chain of Memories card-based battle system, even while I somewhat loathed the incredibly redundant story. With Birth by Sleep, it also adds an interesting twist to the combat, while introducing a new feature to the KH series: the option to play as three separate characters, whose respective stories cross-over and intertwine with each other.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, released for the PSP in 2010, before being remade for the Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix for the Playstations 3 & 4. The game is set 10 years before the first Kingdom Hearts game and centers around three hopeful Keyblade wielder candidates named Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. Incidentally their names correspond to the elements they specialize in, such as earth for Terra, water for Aqua, and large overpriced coffee for Ventus! Rimshot!

Anyway, the game begins during their final trials, which Terra fails spectacularly when he is unable to control the powers of darkness in his heart. This sets off a chain of events that send the three traveling separately to different worlds, while the evil Xehanort (in his original form before he becomes a Heartless and voiced by the late, great Leonard Nimoy) manipulates events from behind the scenes. As Terra continues to spiral into the dark side, his pal Ventus goes rogue and follows his friend around the universe to help pull him back into the light, while Aqua (who passed the trial with flying colors) discreetly keeps tabs on them both on behalf of their master Eraqus (voiced by Mark Hamill!).

Well, it wouldn’t be a Kingdom Hearts game without a ridiculously complicated plot! I won’t even go into Ventus being the “key” (rimshot again) to forging something called a “Xi-Blade” or the mysterious masked boy named Vanitas who stalks all three characters during their respective campaigns like Protoman in Megaman 3. All complaints about the story aside, I did enjoy certain aspects, such as how certain incidents from the perspective of the other characters make it seem like Terra is giving in to the darkness, but when you play as Terra you realize it’s all a misunderstanding and that Terra is being used. So the mild “Rashomon” like elements of the story are interesting, albeit not quite developed enough. Also, that these characters are basically carbon copies of Sora, Rikku, and Kairi is kind of lame and unoriginal.

Whatever flaws the story may have, at least the gameplay is solid, and that’s all that matters to me. Birth by Sleep plays like every other KH game, with the exception that you don’t have party members for support. I’m going to be honest - the metric fuck ton of options and nuances to the combat mechanice was overwhelming at first. First you have the “Command Deck”, which works similarly to the card system from Chain of Memories, where you can rotate through a collection of Keyblade techniques, spells, and items that you load up via the menu before entering combat. Also these spells and techniques can be “melded” in the main menu to create new, more powerful spells and techs, which if melded with a particular type of gem, can also grant you a permanent “ability”, such as “treasure magnet”, “air combo plus”, “Once Again”, etc.

Confused? I’m not done yet!

You can also shift to other “Command Decks” during battles depending on what types of spells or techniques that you use. For example, if you use a fire spell, you’ll shift to a fire-based attack style that will eventually end with a fire finisher attack. That not enough for you? Well, you also have available something called D-Links (not THAT “D”, ya filthy animals), which are command decks based on characters you meet along the way. Say you run into Micky Mouse during the story campaign - you’ll forge a D-Link with him and, provided the D-Link meter is full, you can shift into “Micky Mouse” mode, which contains a different move set and finisher.

Personally, I never found these D-links to be particularly useful except as a way to quickly refill my HP. Otherwise, they are actually quite bothersome, because many of them don’t have cure spells, so if you get low on HP while in D-link mode, ya better revert back to your command deck or you’re screwed, and many of the more difficult battles later in the game are way, WAY too fast paced for that kind of shit.

Got a bunch of spells and techniques that you need to upgrade to their maximum level pronto without level grinding? You have the option of playing something called the “Command Board”, which is Kingdom Hearts version of Mario Party but without those pesky minigames that make Mario Party fun. I rolled my eyes at using the Command Board at first, but I won’t lie - i actually grew to rather enjoy it and it is a nice way to upgrade a ton of abilities without the monotony of grinding.

Speaking of monotony, though, I would say Birth by Sleep’s biggest flaw is how repetitive it feels essentially playing through the game three times as each character. They all visit the same worlds, albeit with access to different points of each world’s map. Each character plays very differently, with Terra being the slow-moving, lumbering oaf but with great strength and stamina; Ventus being the best of both worlds, as he his fairly quick and moderately strong; and Aqua being the weaker of the two, but fast as hell and with incredibly strong magic. As a matter of fact, once you get Aqua all buffed up with her abilities, and a decent keyblade, she becomes quite the ass kicker over the two boys in my humble opinion. Thankfully, each character’s story campaign is fairly short, which takes the edge off the repetitiveness a bit. After playing through each character, there is a “Final Episode” that unlocks, provided you preserved each character’s post-game file, that wraps up the story... or wraps it up as best as one can expect any Kingdom Hearts game to wrap up.

As a console game, Birth by Sleep is decent, but lets remember this was meant to be on a portable system! So in that context, especially on a console like the PSP, Birth by Sleep goes from “decent” to “excellent”, as it provides just enough RPG action to occupy one’s time while on the go, but without being so much of a time sink that you’re rooted in one spot forever and miss your flight or doctor’s appointment or whatever it is you’ve brought the PSP to kill time at back in 2010. I will forewarn completionists out there though: this game is a goddamn nightmare to 100%. Because of the way it is set up, you have to basically one hundred percent the game THREE TIMES, and beat the game at least once on “Critical Mode” if you didn’t already do so in one of those three slots. That means playing through every mini-game, every arena battle, and beating every optional boss (who are insanely difficult, true to KH tradition) THREE TIMES. It’s very tedious and it sucks. As of this writing, I have 100-percented Aqua, and am currently working on finishing up with Ven and Terra. May God have mercy on my soul.

#kingdom hearts #birth by sleep #disney #sony #square enix #ventus #terra #aqua #keyblade #mickey mouse #rpg #action #role playing game #psp #playstation

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whitefangworldbuilding · 5 years

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The Strength of Sienna Khan

I find the subject of how to address where Sienna is on the power scaling of Remnant to be both an interesting question and rather pertinent if one ever wants to write a fic about her and so I have provided my own breakdown on the matter below.

Opening:

Now, I certainly don't mean it in a "How much Ki does she have" or "Does her Semblance make her an S Class threat" or "She can move at Mach 5". No, I more mean it in a general scaling of, who would she measure up well against in a fair fight sense.

& obviously the answer should be "Whatever doesn't break established canon too much" (Unless an AU or what have you)

However, I do feel there is a sort of bare minimum that needs to be cleared based on what we've seen, but even more, what we know.

So, time for some grounds keeping:

Now I could go into how I doubt one rises to a position like Sienna's and survives being functionally at war with something like the SDC and presumably wanted in every nation save Menagerie and likely Vacuo without being badass, but given she has allies that only means so much, Jac certainly didn't survive based on his personal strength after all, so lets move on.

Someone might argue that anything beyond what we saw in Sienna's trailer (Sorry Adam's, but I digress) to not be applicable, however we only saw her fight once and it seems anyone not at mook level didn't really struggle in that fight so it is hard to get a gauge.

We can infer a lot from the fact that despite having her presumably elite guards, and six other soldiers, plus himself and potentially Hazel on side, Adam still chose to kill Sienna by surprise before she realized he didn't intend for her to step down. This can certainly give the impression that Adam did not feel confident he could defeat her either with that back up, or at least not without severe risks, but that still only gives us so much, because we don't know what those risks were.

Still, I think as a starting point as strong, or more likely stronger/better than Adam seems like a fairly reasonable place to start from based on that and the trailer.

But we can go deeper.

One integral thing to think about when considering where Sienna might be on the overall metric and scale is this.

Cinder didn't try to recruit or intimidate her.

Now, some might argue that "Sienna didn't exist before V4" or that "Adam was High Leader before V3" or what have you. I say this.

But I don't think it matters; not just because Sienna is canon, but because as far back as V1 when Blake imagined the shadow figures who replaced the previous leader, there was not just 1. This means that even if Adam was meant to be higher up than he eventually turned out to be he still would not have been alone, eh wither would have had contemporaries or superiors right from V1 and them needing to recruit in V2 and having such a small pool of forces in V/3 really doesn't give any eight to the idea Adam had the full resources of the Fang at his command.

(Though why the boss of a massive organization would be messing about on a train blowing shit up for the lols is beyond me, hence why I don't think he was ever the leader)

This means that regardless of whether Sienna the character, her design or background, ETC, did to didn't exist specifically before V4 doesn't matter because someone always existed in the WF who wasn't submitting to Cinder as Adam was and held a great deal of power.

So what does that mean?

Well what this means is that to reach a final conclusion we need to look at Cinder Fall and her involvement with the White Fang to reach a final conclusion.

So, Cinder is someone with the training of a skilled Huntress (Seemingly), had an assassin and hallucinogenic thief and fighter on her side, and the resources provided to her by Salem, but rather than going for the High Leader of the White Fang and thus potentially netting the entire organization, she went to Adam.

And we know it was intentional because Cinder knew who Adam would be, seemingly that he had an ego given her degree of flattery and she placed great emphasis on choosing him, meaning that give her intelligence on the WF, means she determined him the best.most likely candidate to agree that would be useful. Now this info wasn't perfect because it either failed to communicate Adam's ego effectively or the political situation in the WF, IE, that they would not be willing to work for a human like this, or at least not with her plan.

But by all of this we can determine Cinder had some moderately good Intel on the White Fang, so the question becomes...

Why not Sienna Khan? (Or whoever pre her creation, but yes Sienna Khan)

This next segment will involve a slight digression down, but please bear with me.

Cinder is someone not against bribery, flattery or threats to get what she wants, we saw all of this in her recruitment of Adam, so her avoiding this route with the WF's High Leader means a few things. Firstly it means she likely knew Sienna would not agree to such a destructive plan because it served no purpose; this objection could be moralistic or pragmatic, but Cinder would likely assume the latter given her general disposition and attitude.

But would she, would anyone object if it meant not dying? Would someone actually fight a doomed battle and die just to avoid being forced to commit a terrible act, or being subjected to slavery via threat? I doubt Cinder would believe that possible at least for someone who operates at Sienna's level in the world.

Here's the digression.

This was based off Cinder's interactions with Raven but it still feels applicable here. When Raven said that she wanted to kill her own brother, Cinder did not for a second seemingly doubt her, not even assuming something sneaky like an alliance of pragmatism to deal with her (Likely because she knows they fear Salem). No, Cinder just accepts that Raven wants her own brother dead, cheerfully in fact.

Now, say what you will about Raven but given she still has a portal to him & hasn't slit his throat while he was asleep, I think we can agree she, while willing to endanger Qrow, doesn't actively 'want' him dead or to murder him.

But Cinder was willing to accept that she did, and I feel its for much the same reason as one tumblr post mentioned. Cinder assumes everyone else is as petty and evil as she is. That might not be 100% accurate, but I think she'd definitely assume that of people like Raven, Sienna & Adam, even if she likely regards it in degrees, IE, Adam was the most likely to go along with her plan hence seeking him out.

End of digression.

This to me means that Cinder would not be acting on the assumption Sienna would object to her plans morally, or assuming that Sienna would sacrifice herself to stop them, because she likely thinks Sienna is incapable of such things.

So why wouldn't she seek her out and try to force Sienna's hand once she had half the Maiden powers? Cinder seems rather confident in the ability of power and fear to command respect and yet she didn't aim any higher than Adam despite the potential benefits.

Well given Adam was able to blits through her former guards relatively easily -though be it with a bit of shock given they didn't expect him to go that off the hook- this means to m that Sienna would be the major deciding factor here, not her guards or mooks, especially given Cinder can control Grimm and so could likely organize a Grimm attack to keep the grunts busy while she and her allies go for Sienna.

Thus, to me, this means that as far as Cinder was concerned , even with half the Maiden powers, her wonder minions and potentially Adam...

She still did not feel confident in taking down Sienna.

Or at least she was not confident in being able to force Sienna to surrender or to kill her quickly and turn her into a martyr without it being very blatantly clear that she did it, that Adam was a traitor, and generally just turning the entire WF against her or causing it to fracture apart defeating the purpose of the battle.

Given Cinder's ego likely means she has a fairly high bar before she feels threatened or like she couldn't pull off a "just as planned"; the only conclusion I can reach is that even after gaining the Maiden powers and potentially/likely/certainly Adam as an asset, Cinder still did not think she could overpower Sienna easily enough to either win, or at the very least accomplish her goals.

Conclusion

So, when we put all this together what do we get?

Well, we know that Sienna was at least a skilled fighter and one of at least comparable strength to Adam in the trailer.

We know that despite having her guards, back up and Hazel, Adam did not feel confident in either winning or at least not in a quick fight and so resorted to a sneak attack.

We can deduce that despite her powers and connections, Cinder did not feel she had adequate resources to either defeat Sienna and force her to heel, or kill her quickly and frame it on Vale to make Adam High Leader.

Thus, I reason, that Sienna Khan would likely have at the very least be stronger and more skilled than Adam, and could have put up a good fight even against partial Fall Maiden Cinder, Emerald & Mercury, enough that trying it would not be deemed worth the risks involved.

Exactly where you want to put Sienna's strength is obviously up to your own discretion, even if you follow this analyse there's still a lot of room for interpretation or extrapolation.

But I hope that this breakdown has proven insightful and well reasoned, thank you for your time.

Notes:

I almost wish I had made a video of this :D

Brainstorming Semblances could also be fun.

My main one for Sienna is that she has a 'crest' that she can store her Aura in, storing up potentially days, weeks, months or even years that when activated means she can drastically multiply her strength, sorta like Adam, Yang or Nora, but its pre-stored and has a massive gauge, This is the one I give her in the War idea (and in general) hence her being able to vaporize that cruiser, though using said Semblance can be hard, slow and painful and take a long time to recoup.

Other idea include Nine Lives, IE self Resurrection.

One idea I had in a fun little snippet I wrote ages back involved Sienna being able to forge a psychic link with animals, awakening their Aura, extra intelligence & having them fight along side her as her familiars. She had tigers :D

Another had her able to make solid, independent duplicates, or at least one that operated as an e extension of her, dividing her power in half, but letting her be in two places at once.

Another was tat she operated a bit like Cortez from X-Men, but in this case she basically cleaved off a chunk of her own Aura and infused it into others to give them extra strength and energy but could also return said power to herself if she wished to, weakening the, especially if they'd become dependent on her enhancements.

There's probably a lot of other ideas and if you folks have any I'd love to hear-em, but those are some thoughts.

#RWBY #Sienna Khan #Faunus #The White Fang #White Fang #Please bring her back RT #Sienna The Hero Queen Khan

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cmarionthewilkid-blog · 5 years

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C.O.N.S.U.M.E.D

What happens when we consume more than we need? What happens when our choices are influenced by societal pressures of how things should be? Part 1 of my reflective journal will aim to provide a glimpse at two weeks of a working mom, head of a house of five, who also coincidentally adds event planner often to her job tasks.

Day 1: I specifically started my consumption journal on Friday, October 25. The day before a large case competition I was hosting on campus. Day 1 starts like most every other day of my life. The 20 minute drive to daycare, followed by the usual ice cap pit stop at Tim Horton’s. This day is special though, with the pressures of ensuring everything was just right for our judges and sponsors. I stroll off to Ferme Beaulieu to spend $328 on gifts. I am thinking that at least I am buying local products (honey, herbs, ketchup aux fruits) and feel pretty great about that. But why do I feel obliged to buy gifts at all? Wouldn’t a sincere thank you be enough? I guess according to Jonathan Porritt (2011), I have fallen victim to consumerism at its best. Somehow, I feel OK about it though.

A quick stop at Dollarama for gift bags, disposable coffee cups (cringe!), and plastic plastic trays. Finally, a $148 trip to Provigo for snacks for the case competitors and coaches. Oops, did I mention the trip to the t-shirt printer to pick up the 60 red printed competition momentos. Let��s add the 250+ pages I printed that day! As I sit here and reflect on the necessities (needs) of running a case competition versus expectations (and wants), I come to the realization that most of what I have purchased is simply there to enhance image.

Day 2 (October 26): Tim’s ice cap (check!). 60 Donuts, 60 pre-packed lunches, 24 cans of Perrier, 60 cans of soft drinks, 40 coffees in disposable cups, 100 plastic glasses of wine. Today, I am completely influenced by materialism and keeping the “image”. Let’s keep in mind that I work for a business school and that comes with some rather large assumptions around how things are supposed to look and be. Not to mention, I am hosting five people from the company who is sponsoring the event, so I need to keep them happy and ensure the event lives up to their expectations. I am reminded of Amitai Etzioni, (2012) and his sentiments about “keeping up with the Jones’”. It is true, when one party sets a certain expectation, we all rise to meet, or better, exceed them.

Today; however, my biggest disappointment was food waste. The boxed lunches were good, but about 25% of people didn’t eat all their meal. Almost 100% of the people didn’t eat the dessert included. We don’t have access to compost, so it went to the trash. Above the clear environmental impact of my event, I am reminded of the fact that one fifth of the world’s richest people consume 45% of all the meat and fish (Shah, 2014). Despite the company providing compostable cutlery and cups, I feel guilty that I sent so many things to the landfill today. To top it all off, Sodexo served a less than stellar menu at the Gala dinner (veal sous-vide). I swear I wanted to eat it, but alas, two bites in and I am done. More to the trash. Exhausted and mentally drained, I wonder to myself where the balance between convenience and waste needs to come into play. Why can’t we have compost stations on campus?

Day 3 (October 27): But first, my ice cap! A friend’s child’s birthday party today so I scramble to get things together. I run to Provigo to grab stuff for mini pizzas to share (forgot my grocery bags, so plastic it is). My friend insisted on no gifts at the party, which I wanted to accept, but quite frankly couldn’t. I’m glad I didn’t because apparently no one else respected it either. I think about this social obligation more deeply (Goodwin, Smith, & Spiggle, 1990). I try my best to make a compromise, we opt for a movie day among friends instead of a traditional gift. I am hoping this small intrinsically motivated action may decrease future landfill waste in the future. Nonetheless, we are filled with waxed juice cups and plates. Back to the Provigo to grab something for the family for supper. I grab peppers in a plastic bag, sausages in a styrofoam package, pasta sauce in a glass bottle, cheese in plastic packaging and pasta in a cardboard box. Nothing much to compost or recycle unfortunately.

Day 4 (October 28): Monday and back to work. Ice cap, yup! I am starting to get quite the collection in my office recycling bin. My boss just commented on it. I guess it is a bit of an eye sore..haha!

Two trips to Provigo today. One at lunch to grab George’s bread, deli ham, Coaticook cheese, carrots and dip. Next stop on the way home from work for supper, chicken, baby potatoes and stuffing.

Day 5 (October 29): If you haven’t guessed by now, ice cap time! Today, my brother (who lives with us) did a fridge clean up. Sigh! I can’t believe how much stuff we threw away. Past date, wilted vegetables, moldy fruits. Why don’t I just throw money directly into the garbage can? Is it normal that the first thing I think about is wasted money? According to a study by Graham-Rowe, Jessop, and Sparks (2014), wasting money is indeed a major motivator to minimize food waste. Inspired by this revelation, I am determined to have leftovers for lunch and transform the chicken salad sandwiches tonight for supper. I don’t even have to stop at Provigo today! WOW!

Day 6 (October 30): IC (that’s all I will say). Wednesdays are always tricky because I am running around and teach a class at night. It is one of those days. I grab lunch at Subway (steak sub, chips and a drink) -> garbage.

Run to Provigo after work and grab steak, carrots, potatoes and gravy from Provigo and throw it in pot to cook. I also realize that I haven’t really bought any candy for Halloween for my students in case class. $65.30 later and we have meat and candies! I’ve also been putting out chocolates outside my office door for students.

Day 7 (October 31): Another ice cap to go please. I don’t even eat lunch today. Now I realize we have no candy for the kids. Drive to Walmart and $68.03, we’ve got goodies. No lunch again, and we go to a friend’s for supper. Off with the 4 year old trick or treating in the rain. She gets a pail of treats, we have 2 boxes of stuff leftover.

Day 8 (November 1): Day of the dead? I think so! Actually order breakfast with my ice cap at Timmy’s this morning. No lunch today. We decide to go shopping after work today as my brother has a 40% discount at L’Equipeur. $218.58 later, my husband enjoys new shoes, jeans, sport jacket, t-shirts, and a pair of sneakers for my mom for Christmas. Oh wait! Marlee needs new winter boots, so $86.22 later, we have new winter boots for her. I also see the cutest dress boots at Marshall’s (fake baby Uggs). I suppose these is what the marketers are hoping for. Top it all off with super for the family at Guido’s. (Wow! I have really been eating like crap!) Day 8 hurt the bank account! Day 9 (November 2): Maybe I should actually buy some groceries for my empty fridge. I sludge off to Provigo early Saturday morning to spent near $200. At least I have meat, veggies, fruits, and some of the other basics for my family to actually live on. Stop at Tim’s on the way home for the usual.

Day 10 (November 3): Beautiful breakfast with family (and an ice cap). Spent the day making food (soup, roasted chicken, pasta sauce, etc....). Trying to cut down on the restaurant stops this week. End up at the library with some dear colleagues from GSE503, so I think another ice cap is in order to stay awake (and leftover Halloween Candy).

Day 11 (November 4): Check that thought. Day went to hell, running late, dead tired, no breakfast, grabbed Rima for supper. Fridge full, but I don’t even care at this point.

Day 12 (November 5): Today is a new day! I started making iced coffee at home! No Tim’s! I actually did not spend $1 today! Why do I feel so great? Apparently it is something referred to as perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE). When is comes to sustainable buying practices, this PCE is influenced directly by guilt and pride. This becomes important because it means that as a consumer, my behaviours could be modified by using emotions (Antonetti, & Maklan, 2014).

Day 13 (November 6): Another no spending kind of day! Feeling all pride and no guilt! Maybe Atonetti and Maklan are on to something!

Day 14 (November 7): Last day of recording! No ice caps and going strong. My husband and I are feeling like we need a little extra family time, so we go out for supper at Mike’s with Marlee. We follow it up by a little Chocolat Favoris. I asked myself why we went to Mike’s again? What a waste! A quick stop by Provigo to grab snacks for my basketball girls. I make an orzo salad plus pull together fruits, yogurt, cheese and granola bars.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to see if I actually made some changes and what this whole process has meant for me. Until then, I leave you on this note: Waiting on the World to Change

REFERENCES

Antonetti, P., & Maklan, S. (2014). Feelings that make a difference: How guilt and pride convince consumers of the effectiveness of sustainable consumption choices. Journal of Business Ethics, 124(1), 117-134. Retrieved from www.jstor.org/stable/24033218

Etzioni, A. (2012). You Don’t need to Buy This. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/FN3z8gtDUFE

Goodwin, C., Smith, K.L., & Spiggle, S. (1990). Gift giving: Consumer motivation and the gift purchase process. In NA - Advances in Consumer Research. 17, eds. Marvin E. Goldberg, Gerald Gorn, and Richard W. Pollay, Provo, UT : Association for Consumer Research, 690-698. Retrieved from http://acrwebsite.org/volumes/7086/volumes/v17/NA-17

Graham-Rowe, E., Jessop, D.C., & Sparks, P. (2014). Identifying motivations and barriers to minimising household food wasteby. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 84, 15-23. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2013.12.005

Porritt, J. (2011). The trap of materialism. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/DtwXryPNciM

Shah, A. (2014). Consumption and Consumerism: Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/issue/235/consumption-and-consumerism

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kendrixtermina · 5 years

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Disclaimer For Potential Partners (f/m/x)

Writing this down as much to gather my thoughts and go into this with clear priorities as for possible future reference.

My mother always told me that if you wanted everyone to like you, you’d have to be a 50 dollar bill. I have come to accept that I’m more like licorice. Some people aren’t gonna like me but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others who would appreciate me.

I’d rather you run away screaming NOW than in three years when we’re both invested so Let’s get all this out of the way:

I’m bisexual. Yes, I’ve dated dudes in the past. I’ve had a brief online flirt with an agender person and do think androgynous ppl are hot which I suppose would make me pan in some ppl’s books, at this point the choice in label is purely aesthetic. I’m looking for a female partner right now because I’ve always had a slight preference for girls anyways but a sufficiently compatible non-female would not be refused.

Because ppl have gotten this wrong in the past: Preference is about how likely you are to notice that someone is hot in the first place like in the early stages. It doesn’t mean my attachment to those dudes was any less “real” (or the other way around!) I just flat out don’t care whats in your pants there are other things to be picky about

From since I was young, the message I got from music, books etc is that it’s pretty bad to say “I love you” unless you truly mean it. So I don’t say “I love you” until I’m 100% sure I can do that it good conscience. It seems that it takes me a bit longer to be sure than most people, but it’s not like I’ve conducted statistics on this

I’m not vegan/vegetarian and I’m never going to be vegan/vegetarian

I’m not a pet person

I’m not a sporty person and I’m never going to be a sporty person

Go through my stuff, spy on me in any way or ask me to tell you where I am at all times and its over

I’m an antiprohibitionist and don’t think there’s anything morally wrong with taking recreational substances. Conversely, I’m not interested in that sort of thing as a full-on lifestyle either.

I try to keep an open mind and try everything once but im probably not gonna reorganize my life around new age woo-woo.

So far my folks have liked most my partners, but if our social circles don’t get along I’m comfortable with leaving them separate.

I believe in judging people as individuals first. I don’t wanna hear no paranoid shit about “the muslims” or other stereotypical carricatures but if you’re gonna be “europeans that europeans this” as if im not in the room its not gonna work.

Don’t be fooled by the foreign-sounding surname im a potato through and through. No exotic fanservice to be had here.

Barring unforseen dictatorships, I don’t want to move out of Europe. I like it here. Its full of frustrating dumbasses but so is the rest of the world. Yay for cheese and consumer protection laws! I would consider moving closer to the shore though.

It’s fine if you don’t speak German but you should not hate or dislike it. English is a plus because me, my friends and my family are into internet culture

I haven’t spoken to my father in five years. No, you’re not going to patch this up. You don’t have to ignore him too if you’re not comfortable but you’ll have to respect my choice instead of playing family therapist or throwing platitudes about forgiveness at me.

Im not counting and it depends on your definition but Ive fucked at least 15-20 people, which according to statistics is above average? Always used rubber unless it was long-term and exclusive tho. That might bother some ppl.

That said it has been my conclusion that fucking does nothing that a beer can’t do and that the real quality stuff is what you could already do as a grade schooler when you still thought of all the grownup stuff as mystical. Having ice cream together, exploring new places, having contemplative conversations in the rain, telling each other your fantasies? That’s The Stuff.

Hence while I wouldn’t turn down some fuckage along the way what im looking for at this point is someone to share life and grow old with, like there doesn’t need to be the expectation of further strings but the end goal RN is to find One That Sparks Joy(TM) that will get precedence

I’m not big on material gifts or the ritual part of dating if thats important to you I might not be the ideal candidate, but if its not thats probably good for your wallet

I’m a strong introvert. Sometimes I go weeks without talking to anyone other than my boss or maybe texting my relatives. If you’re very introverted or work alot this might be an advantage. Of course if I love you I will try my best to match up to your attention needs but if you need your partner to text you 15 times every day to feel good I might just not be your cup of tea

That doesn’t mean im not interested in going on or doing new experiences. I very much hope to do that together with you just not 5 days a week - if you can’t give new things wholehearted tries things might get uncomfortable

I like spicy food and all sort of asian cousine, but if you can’t stand the sight of cheese, asparagus and sausage it’s not gonna work either. I can obviously put less chili in your portion.

I tend to talk fast and I find it hard to stop it even if I try, if that bothers you look elsewhere

I cannot stand forced optimism OR over-the top misanthropy or snobbishness. I will gush about things, but I like my dark edgy content and I stand by it. It is an advantage if you like talking about art. If you don’t like morbid humor that might be a problem

No diet talk

No perfectionism

No passive aggressive ppl or ppl that are uncomfortable with direct confrontation. That won’t work, we’d just set each other off even without meaning to and it would just be sad. If Im doing something wrong don’t expect me to notice by magic, tell me to my face so I can fix it. Don’t be hostile out of nowhere and don’t beat around the bush.

im not religious or spiritual. I don’t mind if you are but if you want to have kids and bring them up strongly-immersed in some Abrahamic faith im not sure if this is the right adress

No anti-intellectualism (no snobbery, elitism or smartassery either - as a wise pig once said, “Knowledge is a horizon to strive for, not a prize to hold in your hand” It begins with realizing what you don’t know)

Indifferent about monogamy, but I wouldn’t say that I’m the sort of person who needs non-monogamy either. If you want to we can do it (write me out some list of where you draw the lines so there’s no misunderstandings) but if you don’t it’s no biggie. I don’t care if you fuck 10 other people - for me, respect, honor and loyalty are to do with other things, like, don’t make fun of me and don’t expect me to change because one (1) person said I’m weird or whatever.

Don’t give me diseases tho. I’ll take precautions to extend the same courtesy to you.

Potential character flaws: I can be a tad sensitive, disorganized and defensive sometimes, not gonna sugarcoat it. I have no filter and curse like a sailor. Also I have zero social skills and sometimes I come across as either angry or unemotional when its really the opposite. I find that just as confusing and contradictory as that sounds, I have like zero sense of how I come off. I try to be aware of all of these and do right to everyone to the best of my ability but if you’re sensitive about any of these point someone else might be a better fit

2 kids max. I’m not sure I’ll have ANY at this point, and most certainly not in the next 5 years. IF we decide to have some later I volunteer to carry them though, I probably have good genes, my mom popped out 4 babies in 6 years with nary a complication. Besides I’d rather it was me dealing with the gross pregnancy stuff than someone I love

My favorite bedroom stuff is fingers-in-front-cavity and butt stuff. Mild sleepsex fetish but nothing super pronounced. What I don’t like or just am not very good at is top/bottom play.

So far most my partners have had somewhat stronger sex drive than me but Id argue that I very much have one and ive never refused unless I was in physical pain, severely sleep-deprived or working on some important work-related thing that was due the next day.

It’s important - and science backs me up on this - that you can freely talk to each other in n open, natural and relaxed manner

If you think im weird just do us both the favor and stay away don’t come at me with the attitude that you’re gonna mold me to your desires - even just writing this comes off kinda touchy but im saying this because some people out there really don’t get it. Like my natural tendency is to be open, courious and realistic, but some people see that as free real estate and then it falls to me to be the reasonable one and End The Madness and im tired of that.

Like I want to be able to give love and pour out all my inner romantic shit without having to be afraid of being fucked over I want to be able to trust you with my inner harley quinn as well as my inner phantom of the opera

UGH that sounded a bit tryhard didn’t it? But its the best description i could come up with

Must remember to translate this into mordor speak later

#feelings #love #datefriend acquisition project

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backintheblackparade · 6 years

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So, most of you know that Lucifer “”ended”” on a HUGE STONKING CLIFFHANGER, but I decided to compile a list of the OTHER plot strings that don’t deserve to be left hanging (feel free to add your own).

-Maze and Linda actually finding out about Charlotte’s death:

(a) Linda’s feelings about losing a patient, having her ex leave and fly off to heaven, and contemplate how Charlotte’s death, as the only other human “in the know” foreshadows her own future/destiny. A good place for Linda to examine her place in the world/soul-searching and how she feels about it.

(b) Maze... Though she didn’t feel particularly for or against Charlotte, the fact remains that if she had retrieved Amenadiel on Pierce’s orders she would still be alive. I think she’ll feel some guilt. ALSO, I would swear the writers were building up to our favorite demon growing a soul.

-Trixie:

She’s a young kid whose life is in a MAJOR state of upheaval. She had a fight with her best friend, who hurt her deeply and then moved out, her father’s girlfriend was straight up MURDERED by her mom’s ex-fiance, who, wouldn’t ya know it, then attempted to kill her mom and her mom’s best friend, who in turn killed said ex-fiance. Said death/revelation is causing her mom to, in the very LEAST have an existential crisis. And in all of this, like with the Chloe-moping-on-the-couch scene after Pierce’s first dumping of Chloe, Trixie is left alone to try and pick up the pieces of the shattered adults all around her. Somebody give that kid a break.

-Dan and Ella need to find out!!1!:

(a) Dan, my poor muffin. FFS, this boy isn’t allowed to be happy for more than 2 SECONDS. His girlfriend who he just seriously committed to, and is the first relationship after a divorce, is straight-up murdered by his boss, a man who was hugely biased toward him (and bare minimum a HUGE bully towards him) but was trusted nonetheless. Turns out the Lieutenant was a serial killer all along, and one of his friends knew about it and didn’t share with the class until AFTER he’d killed Charlotte. Dan was a dirty cop, but he (like Charlotte) was working to improve himself and make up for his past mistakes, but in the wake of Charlotte’s death and who caused it, he backslided and went back to ‘the dark side’, and did it with no regrets. (He tried so hard.... and Pierce just dismissed and mocked him constantly before destroying his heart by murdering Charlotte, another one of his employees who he was supposed to support and protect.)

(b) ELLA! Where we left her, on the balcony (THAT SCENE THO!), our collective fav cinnamonroll-scientist was having a crisis of faith. We’ve seen in the past how strong it was, and have gotten hints at the darkness in the past that it has helped her overcome. Now, after the boss she idolized murdered her good friend/mentee (and, let’s be real. Charlotte had a little bit of a crush on Ella, too.) she’s left struggling to see how a benevolent God could allow all this to happen. (Seeing how quick she turned (and got vicious) on Pierce after his true nature was revealed, what would she do learning that her close friend is the actual Devil, who strongly profuses how much of a jerk his Dad is? What would she think about the hell/guilt system? What (good spirited) mad science would she want to do on Lucifer and Maze?)

-Amenadiel:

This season was all about Amenadiel finding himself and learning that he is not above/superior to humans. He’s just found their value and seen what they can be through his deep friendship with Charlotte, romantic entanglings w/ Linda, and improv with Dan, and just trying to fit in to Human society as a whole. He messed up in the past trying desperately to get back to heaven, even going so far as to mess with the natural laws of life and death with Malcom and that whole.... assassination plot. BUT. BUT! Point is, he’s moved on and actually become a decent person. So, now the question is will he lose all his progress and go back to his arrogant ways, or will her retain the lessons on earth. Will he stay in heaven at his father’s right hand or go back to Earth to be with his friends and family there? We just. Don’t. Know.

-Azrael’s Blade/Uriel’s death/Mum’s Banishment:

This was never addressed..... like, AT ALL. What do Lucifer’s other siblings know/feel about the goings-on of the series? Are more of them going to show up? Will there be consequences for Uriel’s death? What the hell is up with God? We need some celestial closure/worldbuilding here!!

-Chloe:

*drumroll please* Ok, besides the obvious “WTF I’M IN LOVE WITH THE DEVIL, GOD IS REAL, MY EX-ROOMMATE IS A DEMON” etc. etc. Chloe has some things to deal with. How will she explain what happened on the scene once the rest of the cops show up? What will she do now? How will she feel about all the things that went on behind the supernatural curtain in her life? (esp the Amenadiel/Malcolm plot). The emotional fallout of Pierce’s lies/actions and how she feels about herself/her perception/gut instinct abilities after being deceived by him. (Also, what will she think about her child seeing the unfiltered face of a demon from hell and just being... fine with it??) How will she feel about Linda knowing before she does? (What would a conversation between them now be like? How will she help her process?)

-Other bits and bobs:

People finding out what happened to Maze! People/her friends being there for her and caring about her and making her feel at home again on earth!!1! (Literally tho. Pierce demanded she help him kill Amenadiel, she refused, so they fought, he threatened Linda (which, turned out not to be so idle as he murdered the gang’s other ‘in the know’ mortal ally only hours later.), distracted her enough to be able to beat her to hell and then shoot her up with drugs, leave her chained up to popes at a warehouse with 12 of his goons and then leave. When she woke up, still groggy, she broke free, fought off all 12 goons with only a pipe vs their weapons, ran 4 miles to save her estranged friend and then passed out once she was safe.) Like, I can’t live with people thinking that Maze voluntarily gave Pierce her knife so he could kill Lucifer. No bueno. Plus, if Maze can bring the gang to the warehouse, they can arrest the goons and collect the kind of solid evidence they need to make sure that nobody gets in trouble for Pierce’s death and complete what Charlotte started by bringing the Sinnerman’s agency down.

-CHARLOTTE’S KIDS. DO THEY KNOW THAT THEIR MOM DIDN’T ABANDON THEM AND WASN’T MEAN AND ACTUALLY LOVED THEM AND DIED/WENT TO HEAVEN A HERO?!?! THEY NEED CLOSURE/THE TRUTH!!1!

#lucifer #savelucifer #pickuplucifer #long post #holy shit #i have a lot of feELINGS!#enjoy my rant #if you writers wanna take these as prompts I won't complain #*hint hint*#megan maze #amenadiel #cliffhanger #I NEED ANSWERS #charlotte richards

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leaflovescloud · 3 years

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Morning, world

Morning, Winnie. How are you?

Hmm, I’m feeling a tad bit better today. Honestly, as much as I want to, I really don’t want to force my recovery. But I know I’m definitely doing it. But just couldn’t really help it.

And it’s definitely a bit harder, when our relationship comprised of mainly sad memories or rather, sad reality. The more I think about it, the more I feel sad.

Just thought it was really a mistake. I think it’s a mistake done by both of us.

If I were to turn back time, I didn’t think I will say yes at the first place. Perhaps, last time I didn’t want to feel bad for rejecting him, but what I should do at the first place is really to listen to my heart. If my heart thinks it’s not the right time, then it is not.

The reason why I’m feeling better today, is that I know, I’m not the right one for him and he is not the right one for me. And, it is just as simple as that.

There is nothing that I can do. There is no way that we could have our initial feelings back. A glance on how things used to be and right now, the differences are drastic, and to a certain extent made me feel a little bit nauseous. I don’t know why God chose this path for both of us, a significant derailing from how it should be, and I can only think, there is a reason behind this.

Moving forward, I would like to work on myself.

Since, I have also discovered a lot of things to work on.

Sometimes I think, what do I seek in a relationship and how I want to be loved. Honestly, will I have answers for that? I guess this period is for me to find out.

Yesterday, I talked to Koh. And he thinks that I have turned into a girl who is not confident and think very little of herself. And I told him, I was never confident in my entire life lol, be it appearance, studies, work, skills.

And he told me, when I first joined my firm, I was the center of attention, and it’s natural, not because of my appearance but because of how confident I was back then.

I think it’s not because I was confident? But I was really happy, contended, grounded back that. And always the fun ones to hang out with, free spirited etc. It’s true, I’m not like that anymore and I seek to find myself again. But was that truly me? I don’t know, but I would like to think so.

And for some reasons, I feel like God doesn’t want me to have both career and relationship together LOL. This year, I got into accident and I lost my relationship. But to a certain extent, my career or my ability at work was soaring high.

Last year, I found him, but a lot of bad things happened in my work place. i suffered for a while and I found the balance. And then, my accident.

I guess, what I have to say is, for a guy to have his love changed 6 months down the road, one reason is that he has never truly loved me, second reason is that he may have loved me for the wrong reason, therefore, he suffered and he could not love me anymore.

I shouldn’t be feeling to sad for neither the first reason or the second reason. Because it is not the genuine and organic love to begin with. And the effect of losing it shouldn’t be taking a toll on me.

I think the reason why I still do feel that I have a bond with Jackie from time to time, is probably because I feel what we had was very real and genuine. I say this is of course without the benefit of what had happened between Chris and I happens the same way on Jackie and I. But I’m just saying that I cling on the past for so long, since 2019 till now, simply because what we had is real, and it’s sad for losing it.

On the other hand, for what had happened between Chris and I, it’s tricky. It appears to be real, but actually, it’s not. And I’m not even sure throughout, how I have been manipulated in this relationship. He is a sweet talker and he knows his way to people’s heart.

So it is going to back to the same reason - We are just not meant for each other.

Knowing this, do give my heart some comfort. And I want to take some time to digest it.

And if I were to describe his love to me, I would think at first it was loving me for the wrong reason to an obligatory love. Perhaps it’s not wrong to say he may have loved me like I’m his daughter LOL. A lil creepy but well.

I’m 26 this year.

It’s not the end of the world. Perhaps at the outset, it appears to be a little hard to swallow because the wound is still fresh. I’m really just now trying to mend my heart, perhaps I should be showering it with love and care. Then, I can find myself again, the Winnie that I once know, that once everyone knows.

Can’t start the day without practicing gratitude. Which I stopped practicing it last year because I realized I didn’t need it anymore because having Chris was already a huge blessing to me, and I thought he completed me.

But that’s not true. I should have continued practicing it despite that, it is to build my inner character and lay out a strong foundation for myself, to prepare myself for whatever that may come.

Alright, today I feel grateful because:

(a) My families are healthy and well;

(b) I’m broke, but I have a shelter and food;

This time, it’s time for me to start a new chapter. I know I won’t be able to find such a nice place (at least for me) to stay all of the sudden, when it’s not even advertised on the properties website, which fits my budget (although quite a heavy commitment). Perhaps, God does have his path for me. And this is it.

Now, I’m going to be the architect, engineer, developer, whatever you call it. To start planning for a life that I desire. Honestly, I do miss being that girl even though I’m not like super hot. But I guess because I’m more friendly than most of the hot girls and that makes me more approachable? Let’s see what the future may hold.

Btw, I’m writing all these in a rather calm mode. The past few days have been hell. HAHA.

I would like to think that i have strong support system, even though I need to knock on their doors to help me. Healing journey begins! And I’m excited to read all these again, may be few months down the road.

Keeping a journal, is always good I guess.

Sometimes, when I read back what happened 3 years ago, I was just like ... I have grown so much... So much have happened. And I’m still here.

Oh one more thing, I’m just really grateful to be alive and fully functional. God knows worse things could have happened to me that night. For example, if the glasses do cut at the wrong place, i.e. my eye, or the pelvic bones puncture my bladder or womb etc. The consequences are significant. Sometimes, I keep replaying the memories relating to my accident. I feel fear but also feel a bit stronger.

It’s definitely a story that I won’t stop telling people. Not to boast how strong I am, but to remind people, to take one step at a time.

Not sure if it is because Chris was with me the entire time therefore making everything better, but I can just be grateful for everything. Perhaps, he may not be the right person for me, but he is there for a reason.

To date, I don’t think I’m a good person yet. But I know how I can be a better person. Mahatma Ghandi once said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” I find myself resonate a lot with this quote, always. I will continue practicing it.

For now, I’m glad that my boss is really taking good care of me. But I hope he doesn’t go too far till an extent that it’s worrying? I guess I should be grateful at this difficult time, i have an employer who is understanding and not pressuring me too much at work. I should be grateful and work harder to repay it.

Dear God and the almighty Universe,

I accept and have accepted it.

I remember I said I will leave it to you. And now, I accept what have transpired. And I know you want me to be a better person. And I will.

Love,

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yunhycran-blog · 6 years

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( the cuteST )

for once i don’t have a long ass spiel typed before introducing myself, imagine that ! hey i’m kat, i’m 20, canadian, and uh, i’m rly pulling this stunt again huh !! bc of lo siento fucking me up, i’m giving this brat one last shot in the group rp realm rather than pick up a new muse ( i am.. v convinced i kill or ruin rps by presence alone but with her ?? it’s tenfold so fingers crossed GKSKGKSL ) i’m just.. rly attached to her ok.

i’m a uni student and in love with sowoo if that wasn’t already obvious, plus i’m 90% sure at least a quarter of you have seen me use hyeran before so this shouldn’t be a surprise to you SDKGJGKLDFS. you can find extras abt her — including stats — HERE, hmu on d*scord if you’d like ( STREAM LO SIENTO !!#2030 ) and with that, i’ll shut up and ( re ?? perhaps ? dfgjslkg ) introduce you to this brat !

` +⬦･ﾟ——— SHE/HER, PANSEXUAL — YUN HYERAN is said get mistaken for JEON SOMIN on campus all the time. they are TWENTY-TWO and about to go into their SENIOR YEAR. rumour has it they’re majoring in MUSIC COMPOSITION and came all the way from DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA. their roommate says they’re EBULLIENT & RESOLUTE but also SELF-CRITICAL & CIRCUMSPECT. ( kat, 20, gmt-3:30, and she/her )

yun hyeran, a daegu native with an older and younger brother, an ambivert and an all around baby

tbh this is a copied intro from a few months back that i tweaked a bit for the rp, and i don’t have the time to perfectly incorporate much of her bg, so you can check out all of that HERE

buT she became involved in music through her father, who studied it in uni and ended up becoming a music instructor with a focus on piano, flute and vocals

her and her mom.. also her older brother, didn’t have the best relationship when she grew older, which seemed to die altogether when her parents divorced and her mom left. but her and her brother’s still exists, albeit barely. he’s a bit of a toxic influence on her, or at least that’s how she perceives it, and she tends to distance herself from him

would visit jeju island when she was younger bc her aunt lived there

she adores said aunt, her dad’s sister and the maternal figure she Deserves, so overall jeju holds a special place in her heart

went to uni in seoul to pursue music like her father ( a daddy’s girl too like ) but transferred to busan u after some.. shit and her own feelings ? anyways she was content when she settled here and soon found her way into the world of production !! by junior year, she’d transferred out of her original program and majored in that instead and has loved it ever since

for the time being, she works full-time as a barista at a café off-campus

she’s also making something of an income as the creator of an acct on youtube and soundcloud for her music, something she’s had for abt a year now

she’s not even close to making it big yet ofc, and she doesn’t mind if she never works for a moderately to highly popular label — though she should if she wants to get by

among the aesthetic, lo-fi music crowd ( one of those yt accts with a livestream for certain playlists that go on for hours, rip ) where for the most part, it’s personal faves mixed with her own works, and has a substantial following as of now. but has an interest in experimenting, with mashups ( as a lover of them ?? i couldn’t help myself sgflkdsjg ) for example, with a small fear of how that change would be received

this is so short since i took out a bit from when she was recent uni grad!hyeran so, pardon that sgkljgskfld

in terms of her personality and other things:

she’s a very loyal person, v e r y. while like i said ( and will elaborate on in her bio ), her relationship with her brother is Not Great, she hasn’t completely given up on him. maybe for the time being — by that i mean another two years or so ?? LJSKSDFGJ my baby’s still hurt by his bullshit so — but her being someone who’s open to the idea of people changing for the better somewhere down the line, leaves a bit of room for her to possibly change her mind if he does enough to allow her to consider it

so she can be a bit of a doormat in some cases, it all depends on how she sees the person that determines if that’s the case, but she generally won’t let you off if you’re being dumb/an ass to someone or if she gets advantageous vibes from you for example ( given she can.. be a little naive and is a p gentle soul ) so.. idk fgklsj good luck to the 99% ig ??

don’t confuse that with her being v forgiving, weak, etc, etc. she’s a soft bitch, p vulnerable too ngl but.. she’s not that Dumb sdljfkg

speaking of vulnerable, she does have a slight dependency on others despite her thinking all signs point to the opposite, and even though her and her mom never rly had a good relationship she still reels from the neglect/abandonment some days so handle her with Care if she deems you a close pal

spontaneous tbh, transferring to busan was a little last minute on her part, for one

she’s a bit reclusive when focused on something, if she tells you she’s working on a track, it’s essentially a head’s up that you might not see her for a couple of days depending on how soon she gets it done — lowkey that bitch™ who makes up an illness to her boss, so she wouldn’t even show up for work if it’s more than just her fucking around

bc admittedly, a lot of what she posts is fucking around and liking it, her more thought-out and effort packed projects are hidden away on her laptop

a bit insecure with her work and just her general disposition ?? those first few points above mess with her a lot and leave her disheartened so.. my poor child

v strong overall, takes people’s shit and if it gets to her, she gets over it p fast. doesn’t dwell on much and will be courteous to you even if she’s declared you too toxic to stick around 24/7

isn’t exactly one to get angry ?? she’s basically just disappointed or annoyed at best 99% of the time, it takes a lot to get her beyond that

positive, ugh. maybe not sickeningly sweet, but.. still dgklsf

don’t confuse that with optimism tho, bc she’s a bit of a defensive pessimist deep down, with her optimistic side always trying to overpower it

a cute bean who wants the best for everyone

uhhh

has a good understanding of english, her mom’s an american national so she grew up with it being spoken in the house at times

prob speaks it better than i speak french ( and uh, i studied that for almost ten fucking years with a shit end result on that end of things LKSDFGJGDKF ), but still wouldn’t consider herself fluent

.. i would tho js

plays piano and bass guitar, but knows her way around a flute and tenor sax ( you don’t know how tempted i was to say clarinet as an homage to jiwoo gjflkgds )

prob had some kind of little amateur rock band with a few music majors and took up bass for the hell of it lmao

loves animals, leans towards cats or big dogs. corgis and those little spaniels get a pass tho

speaking of, she has a cute little calico kitten back in daegu ( i’m shit with pet names so if lucy sounds lacklustre.. you know why rgkjls ) who she Loves, her baby !!

sweater, ball cap and basic t shirt junkie

those glasses somin wears a lot ?? hyeran wears them too but.. actually needs them for reading and especially while she’s working on shit on her laptop, not even close to a fashion statement

doesn’t don much makeup unless someone’s dragging her to a party or something

thaT’S when she looks a little more like a classy early twenties bitch.. which lbr, is hard enough when adulthood is a whole Train Wreck for the most part LGFJSDL

not a heavy drinker, but the textbook definition of a lightweight so.. she’s always praying for anyone who has to deal with her dgfjklsfg

lattes are her livelihood

a bit of a hopeless romantic, just a bit, but god help her nonetheless

her favourite subject in hs was literature/writing and reads quite a bit on her breaks at the café, even took up a couple of courses since attending uni

favourite music genres.. it’s easier to say what she doesn’t like/finds boring, which is prob country and some aspects of edm/pop, not into punk/metal either

these are super basic but.. i’ve gotta get myself together for the day so this’ll do for now i hope ??

so if you’d like to plot, im me here or on d*scord ! i prefer the latter personally, but whichever’s easiest for you. i have a list of a few of the specific wcs i have in mind ( for the time being, catch my lazy ass avoiding listing all the basic ones and revising a few i have on an old blog ) for hyeran up now, which you can find here, so just lmk if any of them appeal to you !!

#busans.intro #╳┊: — bitch you’re gonna die ! •「 ooc. 」#i've had this saved in my drafts since right after i sent my app in sgjklsfdg

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stevensavage · 6 years

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Playing Producer: What Would An Overwatch RPG Need To Be?

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com and Steve's Tumblr. Find out more at my newsletter.)

Taking a break from my more dramatic posts to do a bit of game analysis here - I'm playing Product Owner and Producer in my head asking just what an RPG of hit game Overwatch would need. Last column I identified that it's probably viable and has good synergy, but it can't be too much like the core game and probably wouldn't be good to introduce to the market for at least 3 years. Also feel free to use any of these ideas.

It's also a fun look and exercise to think about products like games and products. So now let's move on to asking just what an Overwatch RPG would have to be to meet the market we know.

It Must Be Lore Filled

Overwatch has a lot of Lore, individual and worldwide. Any RPG/MMO of Overwatch has to be fairly dripping with lore and details. It should be enough that you don't feel you're playing a game, but reading a book or a seeing a movie.

That's a tall order, but also a place the game can stand out. What an Overwatch RPG/MMO needs to be is the SF/Superhero version of the Fallen London Universe; you have to feel immersed in a place, a lore and a feel when you play or it doesn't work. It has to be designed down to wording choices and colors.

In addition, Lore has to be everyhwere. Hunting down Lore has become a part of Overwatch fandom, which means sticking it everywhere. You want people crawling through restrooms in Junkertown to discover a photo taped to the underside of a label on a pipe. Then they get an achievement.

If this is done right, then right here you can differentiate it from most games - and get people interested. If you can get people who like Lore but not a frenetic FPS, you win.

This of course drives a lot of other choices.

NOTE: Imagine if the first person to discover new lore got a special item or title, and the first 100 also got some bonus. There should also be some kind of experience gain or benefit for lore discovery for each character.

It Must Be Playable In Chunks

One of the great things about Overwatch is that I can sit down, play for 15 minutes, and walk away. I often don't but its tight mission structure means I can. When I do. Which is rarely.

A problem with MMO's is that they can consume people's time - I think that actually drives people away. But you also want retention. Playable small chunks means you get both - people can grind away, but you don't drive them away with long slogs or a massive commitment.

Thus every mission should probably be small, or several independent missions strung together, enough for people to get in, adventure, and get out. This of course fits Overwatch's military-meets-superhero style - go and do the mission and get out. Or if your Reyes, screw them up and then listen to your team complain.

Larger missions, as noted could be strung together - which also provides the bonus that people can play large content how they want. That increases retention, allows your friend to go to the bahtroom before your team starts the next mission, or just finish something off later. Sure we might have some larger/longer raids and such but make this the core.

NOTE: Provide titles, items, cosmetics, etc. to people who complete various numbers of mission. Also, for the people who love marathons, provide the same for people who do various numbers of missions IN A ROW.

It Must Be Social

An Overwatch RPG must be social. Despite complaints about toxicity in the community, I think those complains exist because it clashes with the overall spirit of the community. Overwatch fans love lore, speculation, teaming up, and exchanging fan art and such. I find it surprising positive, cynic that I am.

So any Overwatch game has to be a social engine big enough people can feel part of the community. I'd say if Overwatch RPG/MMO's social features are so interesting you're templted to play ONLY to use them then you win.

This almost certainly means:

Strong matchmaking tools.

Strong social tools to keep up with people.

Gift giving and exchanges of stuff in game (or purchased, we need those microtransactions)

Toxicity control and blocking tools. I almost wonder if a kind of LinkedIn recommendation system could work.

Home/room crafting. That's becoming de rigeur, so put it on in.

Crafting things for others.

Bonuses for good social behavior.

Social areas and events in the game.

Community things like fashion shows, backstories, and art contests.

Social tools have to pretty much appeal to people from Day 1 - you need an embarassment of riches that's also managable and comprehendible.

NOTE: There should be missions or mission parts that are non-combat where characters solve puzzles or just go and talk to people. This would not only fit Overwatch, but also encourage social activities.

It Must Tie Into The Big Picture

The game has to tie into the Overwatch universe in a meaningful way. Characters can't be sitting on the sidelines forever in the shadows of everyone else - they have to make their own paths. They can't outshine the heroes of Overwatch the game, but also have to achieve things. The Lore of the game has to tie into their experiences to bring the in-game fiction and the player experience together.

To me this means:

Things the characters do and missions they're assigned should fit the Overwatch universe.

* Lots of in-game events and special events - maybe even one time - to make it feel like things evolve. STO is a great example of this.

Use of proper settings - while exploring new ones. For instance, you know at some point everyone will want to go to Junkertown or the Moon.

Evolve the storyline to a point where it allows for people to create masses of new heroes (I figure it'd be set a few years after the Recall) to have their own tales.

Have missions and events that let characters "own" their own experiences.

Move the story along for the other Overwatch characters - their achievements should change the game for the players, but they players should make their own way.

This'll take effort - and constant content. But if you make it feel like a living world, that will keep people interested. Plus if it can tie into the game and media . . .

NOTE: This is going to take real work, to truly be a media production with growing lore and a world. It'll be like running a TV show.

Characters Must Matter

Overwatch at its heart is about people making a difference. Oh, it may be a terrible difference. It may be for revenge or greed or dressing like a human Hot Topic. But people in the story have impact.

That has to translate to the game. Which will be challenging, but players have to feel their story is important - and it has to be made important.

Some thoughts on that:

Have regular events where the winning "faction" get some bonus or achieves some victory. That should create temporary in-game alterations and may give some bonus to those who participated.

Have areas that are territorial battles, where factions can take control. Good for PvP.

Have people contribute time or resources to non-combat events to get results - like building new areas.

Have characters have their own storylines and choices for certain elements that have impact; such as choosing which character to agree with in a conflict.

Characters in game must comment on action and character actions.

Players must get a chance to make unique in-game choices, such as crafting or getting rare loot or costumes.

NOTE: This will need special attention in the game design - it will need to be core.

It Must Be Personal

The game must have a very personal feel to it - almost intimate. your character's choices, actions, factions, and so on must make the game feel unique. It should feel that, if you started over, you'd experience an entirely diffrent game.

Many of the common things in RPGs and MMOs do this - character choices, cosmetics, factions. Those, obviously would be here - especially cosmetics, it's Overwatch.

May of the above items would personalize it - and I'll cover characters in a separate post. But I think an Overwatch RPG MMO needs to make most missions personal, unique.

Here's what I think it'd need.

Event/historical missions should have a personal quality or at least a random quality. Maybe an end boss is customized for your loadout.

Missions should be multi-option. Choice should matter and bring about different results.

Missions must be able to fail and have partial successes.

Have a reputation system, but not one that's simple - your reputation should be a kind of reputation. You may be popular with Overwatch, or Talon, but what kind of popularity - the killer who gets sent to gun down enemies, or the team player who gets rescue missions.

Most missions should be - I'm seriously - randomized, procedural, and/or customized. A mission you play should be unique and unrepeatable. That experience is for you and your team alone.

Actions should have effects over time. Maybe your character ends up constantly annoying Doomfist and thus he is swapped in for a boss in another mission as he seeks revenge. Have enough successful missions at Blizzard World and someone mentions it later or it unlocks a special scripted mission.

But what of the Lore, which is a bit hard when you have random missions? I've got an idea for that too - Virtual Reality. As you "rank up" in your faction, you can experience "simulated" story missions as "training." This loads in lore and gives scripted missions - it's just not the main source of story. It'd be like the Overwatch Archives.

Everyone gets their own story - and everyone gets to relive the same history together.

In A Nutshell

So to round up an Overwatch RPG that I think would succeed would be a lore-soaked social game that provides a lot of randomized missions on top of more scripted ones, has a shifting/changing setting based on actions, and produces a highly personal player experience.

Is this doable? Actually, I think so. Most of the parts are obvious or in place, it's probably the procedural balance and elements that'd take work.

Next up - characters.

- Steve

www.StevenSavage.com

www.InformoTron.com

#overwatch #overwatch rpg #overwatch mmo #product owner #producer

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hollywood-hobo-blog · 7 years

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How to Be a Homeless and NOT Look the Part

1. Travel Light At most, to not be seen as a complete bum, DO NOT, have more than one tote bag or any bag in your hand. I carry a Starbucks tote bag I got from Goodwill and a backpack. In my backpack, I carry all the important items, things I want to keep near me at all times. My tote contains my hygienics, towel, and a change of clothes. This can bring the assumption you are either going to the gym, the laundromat, or are heading out to the beach if you're close to one like I am. If you have a tote bag or are looking to buy one, don't buy a 99 cent store bag or a Walmart bag. Those are the cliche homeless bag to carry. Think college town life and find a used but a branded logo. Something considered as the modern norm.

2. Wardrobe Give up the Nirvana shirt, Vans, and faded jeans. Buy black dress pants at Goodwill, A proper dress shirt or two (Sky blue, white, grey) One long sleeve one sleeves, and a tie. Shoes should always be dress shoes as your objective at this point is to get employed. Use wardrobe samples from Pinterest or movie actors (James Bond, Tom Hanks, Red carpet events, etc) Perhaps if the future permits, you can buy Vans and regular casuals but remember, your wardrobe says a lot about you to the world around you. I received a lot more smiles and respect wearing my formal clothing than I would have if I just wore casuals.

3. Hairstyle/Grooming Do not keep a beard or facial hair. I have to shave at least every two days to maintain a clean young look. I take advantage of my gym membership to do this and at the same time, I apply hair wax. I keep a comb with me in my pocket to fix it up as the day goes on. If you have long hair, find styles online that you can do. If your hair is short, find a combing style best representing a business style or formal as possible. I'll repeat this often, look like a businessman, not the employee. People need to see who is boss. This world is very judgemental and I don't need to tell you that at all.

4. Communication On a couple occasions, I have been able to bypass the need for the fare. I have fibbed a fair bit to transit drivers to avoid paying but it doesn't work all the time. In some cases, I would say my wallet is missing and then continue talking about something in pop culture. A Netflix series, Jennifer Aniston, music, etc. Anything to derail the driver from the initial point of interest of you lacking money. If you look clean, they won't say much. But the best part is that you get to talk a driver who otherwise spends a countless amount of time doing circles around the block without any real conversation. You may just make their day by asking how there's is going.

5. Body Spray/Cologne If you're a person who walks a lot like I do, I take advantage of the cologne section of malls where they offer free samples. I spray various types of spray or just one on my clothes. I may even take some sample strips and throw them in my pocket or my backpack to assure I'm always carrying a strong rich scent that attracts others. On one occasion a girl told me I smelled nice but I couldn't tell her what it was since my backpack was carrying various types. Needless to say, having a social respect from others puts a big smile on your day you'd otherwise wouldn't find.

6. Read, Write, and Stay Hydrated Always carry a bottle of water, a notebook, and a book with you at all times. The idea here is to present to the public you are either a student, employee or somebody working on something very important. In this instance, you can easily walk onto a University campus and not be thrown out by security. In my time, I have witnessed countless of homeless people being escorted off campus because they carry a lot with them and just seem out of shape. Avoid that at all costs. Don't let that fear seep into you that you are becoming this individual. You are not, you can get a grasp on this reality and bend it to your desires. Nothing is impossible.

7. The Tourist Trick - "Do you have a quarter?" In this day and age, you can trick society almost like a con artist. I panhandle mostly on busy intersections and my look confuses people as I don't look homeless and some reason people feel obligated to help out. But when I was tight on money and needed to collect at least 10 quarters from 10 different strangers, I did a simple trick around bus stations. Most lines and bus services in the city are close by which makes this a very simple tactic. Here's how to do it. Considering you don't look like a complete vagrant, the way to do this is take out your wallet and passport and keep it in your hand. If possible, stick a piece of paper in the passport to give the impression it's a flight ticket of sorts. At a bus stop near a Metro, Expo, Lightrail, or Subway line stand at a bus stop in a busy street and approach somebody who seems well rounded in appearance. For me, it was, "Hey, so I'm trying to get to the airport, which station do I go to and what train do I board?" They'll tell you "Across the street, go down and take the train to Union Station and there should be a flyaway bus service. Then you should say "It's 1.50 right for the train?" (Mention it as a quarter less from the actual service fare price in your city.) While holding a hand of some change pretend to count. The stranger will be like, "No, it's 1.75" That's when you should ask if they have a quarter since your international debit card is being rejected at the kiosk. When they do give you the change, shake their hand and say thank you. Ask for their name, not that you need to see them again, but because when such transaction occurs you need to present to the public that it was a formal agreement of sorts and not simply you asking for change. The handshake is a gesture that changes every interaction. It's respected, pleasing, and the stranger feels satisfied with helping somebody and also being appreciated for this service. In the end, you have 2.50 plus some extra dollars from previous collections. I live comfortably with 8.00/day.

8. The Graveyard Shift From 10:00 pm to 6 in the morning, you are on the graveyard shift. You cannot fall asleep during these hours. Most of your sleeping should be done during the day. There are some exceptions when you have had to walk five hours to get home like I did but on most occasions, I save some extra money for the evening to go to Denny's and order coffee. The refills are free, the staff usually hate their life and can care less about who you are if you don't give them a hard time. And, if you have your books, pens, laptop, and other stuff out, you'll be presumed as a student who is putting on a heavy workload and just needs to focus. The illusion is to the public you are working hard at your goals and career. (Which you should) I spend my time writing fiction, a screenplay, or browsing the web. I admit, sometimes I do fall asleep with micro naps but I don't carry this for long as I remember I'll have an entire day to sleep.

9. Sleeping I have three locations for sleeping, one is hidden from the public and is a combination of a cardboard box folded into a nice little house format and rests against a wall near another box where a homeless man sleeps. I know a fairly clean bin in the area that was recently replaced and have sometimes wanted to jump in it for the night because of the comfort but have resorted not too. My second sleeping location is the Metro Line. I panhandle enough to get me onto a train with a boarding ticket. I stick in headphones in my ears with no music (or little ambient music) and close my eyes. At six in the morning, I blend in. I take at least 4 round trips. In Los Angeles, I sleep between Union Station to North Hollywood. I get off North Hollywood and switch to the other side, sleep, and do this up until my body feels well rested enough to go outside. Finally, when I'm well rested, I take a stop to USC, go to the library, and rest off for the day. By the time I'm up, I'm hungry and I move to the next location.

10. Employment Whether you have a bank account or not, I have been in both positions. Luckily, California is a state where it offers a lot of help and payment methods most of society frowns upon. I had an occasional luck with some dishwashing jobs, however, due to my body's physical condition, this does more harm than good. I am currently trying to maintain my mental stamina as this is what's been breaking me down, but if you need a quick buck try out foreign restaurants owned by Asian men or women and ask if they need a dishwasher. Explain to them your situation and that you need some time to go to SSA to get your documents and if they can pay cash part-time for a bit. In my own experience, I have not been rejected from any place with a dishwashing position. Although be wary of employers in this political climate as a lot has changed over the years and working cash is seen more as a violent act much greater than school shootings. (Intended sarcasm)

#writing #life #homeless #california #los angeles #personal #mental health #depression #how to #life hacks #tips and tricks

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ilbronco · 7 years

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But where oh where do the Cavallone get their money from? And how did Dino manage to execute a complete turn around of their finances and propel his bankrupt famiglia into the top 3 most influential in such a short amount of time? Below the cut, you will find my humble and perhaps very novice take on it, as I myself, am not a Mafioso leader and have based these headcanons very heavily on various sources collected from media, mostly. You can probably skip the first 5 paras which are gibberish, tbh.

So, before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me preface this post by saying I’ve decided to enforce the KHR lore of Mafia over the reality of what Mafia organisations truly are for this. Mainly because, I am rping a character from fiction, so while the below may be heavily romanticised ( much like the Mafia is in KHR itself ) that’s just the route I’ve decided to go down, as an rp blog.

First and foremost, Dino Cavallone is a good person, at heart. Canonically, he is ranked 1st out of 82,263 bosses as caring most not only about his own famiglia, but the general public AS WELL. With this in mind, I don’t personally feel he’d be involved in any activity which poses direct and very harmful threats to the people who live within the boundaries of his criminal empire, or to people in general.

Of course, no underground dealings are without consequence and people do and will get hurt and perhaps even die, inevitably. But Dino would most definitely ensure that these risks are minimised to the best they can be. As much as he is the leader of a top tier crime syndicate, you just don’t get the kind of good reputation he’s earned buy cutting hands off people who can’t repay their illegal loans on time or trafficking children into the unsavoury hands of God knows who.

Good nature aside, incorporating Dino’s talents as tech savvy, business smart, numerically inclined, accountant whizz - I think it’s safe for me to cut out the baser means of earning money like escorting/prostitution. It’s a lucrative business, legal for the most part, and if handled correctly ( which it absolutely WOULD be by your friendly neighbourhood Don ) can be beneficial to both owner and workers. So in that sense it’s good, but I just don’t see it as being a ‘Dino’ mode of moneymaking.

Next comes drugs. So, according to every source in the world ever - drugs is where it’s at! Guaranteed to make the most money in the shortest amount of time with the least effort and is just HUGE on a global scale. A perfect gateway into flipping your bankrupt family back on its feet in zero time at all! Unfortunately, KHR canon says no to drugs, so I’ll stick with that rule.

Right, so what the fuck DOES the Cavallone famiglia do?? My answer to this is; a little bit of everything. Loan sharking, money laundering, protection racket, arms dealing and Dino’s specialism, good old Intel. Let me stress this again, all of the above are HEAVILY regulated. Guns aren’t just being dealt willy nilly to terrorists or kids and money isn’t being extorted out poor of buggers who couldn’t possibly hope to afford it.

I’m going to attempt to put a time line on this, so bare with me ( if you haven’t run for your life already at the hot mess of this meta ). Firstly as another KHR rper on here ( bombassbitch lmk if you want off this post! ) supplied in a group chat, things would have had to start with a total overhaul of finances. Analysis of income vs expenditure, tracking spending, adding up their debts, reviewing investment accounts, applying a strict budget and sticking to it and then of course, finding ways to make more money!

For things to have turned around and the speed they did with the Cavallone, I think arms dealings would have had to be the first and main source of income. This is vaguely backed up in one ( 1 ) single manga panel showing Dino’s involvement in weapons trafficking. Procuring illegally manufactured arms ( likely from Russian Mafiosi ) at discount prices and then redistributing them to other gangs ( heavily vetted ones ) other famiglias, the army, other businesses etc.

The next viable source from there ( you can’t really launder money or be a loan shark without owning substantial funds yourself! ) would be protection racketeer. The Cavallone famiglia is some 5000 members strong, they have a LOT of manpower they’d be able to spread all over for this. I’ll take this opening to say this would NOT be the extortion kind of racket, where the Mafia provide a ‘false’ danger themselves in order to swindle people out of their money, but genuine protection. Mostly in the black market, providing buyers and sellers security for smooth transactions as well as other businesses or groups who may need protection through credible threats of violence outside the sanction of the law.

Then there’s Intel. Dino is a consistent source of this for Team Tsuna in the manga, and there’s no reason he wouldn’t be a source for a lot of other people too. As mentioned above, he’s got a lot of men to expend on gathering and harnessing information, which he the sells on ( or gives away depending on who’s asking ). This to me, doesn’t sound quite as lucrative as a quick fix, but once the Cavallone had re-established themselves financially, it’s certainly become a very large portion of the business they conduct.

This post is already shamefully SHAMEFULLY LONG so yeah I’ll sum the rest of the pies he has his fingers in real quick! Loan sharking - Note, only to genuine persons and businesses who have a high chance of being able to repay their debt. The interest is high, but not outrageously so and the punishment for non repayments are steep, but again, not horribly so. I doubt there would be much violence involved, more a taking over the business and all of its assets for the famiglia ( much like a bank would do ) plus a little extra because there needs to be INCENTIVE for people to repay, there needs to be a Don image to be maintained. But this is where I really ham up the romanticism because I just don’t see Dino beating the shit out of people or their family and breaking bones over repayments. I’m sorry like??

AND LAST but not least money laundering. In this technological era likely through a slew of illegal online casinos and gambling, stuff like that.

I got really lazy near the end of this but YEAH, that is, how my little Dino at least, conducts all his nasty Mafia business.

#SO THIS GOT LIKE LONG #IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE THERE'S NO RHYTHM AT ALL #but it was actually a good exercise that got me thinking more in depth about the business Dino #as opposed to the 'man' Dino which is what I usually focus on #feel free to tip in I'm open to corrections or input of any kind #like I said it's a very roughly put together meta #peace out #█ ▌♘. ʜᴄ

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kawaiipsycho101srpblog · 7 years

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A.K.A. Character Profile

Here’s a little cheat-sheet regarding my main muse, Alixandria Kara Andres, an OC/thinly-veiled Mary Sue from my Death Note fanfiction, Righteous Side of Hell. If you want to rp with me as Alix, you’ll need to look at this first (it’ll be under my ‘need to know’ tag). I won’t be revealing too much detail (spoilers and all that), just enough so people can get the gist of her character. You should also know that in this universe, Alix is the one who owned the Death Note Ryuk stole & dropped in the human world, not Sidoh.

Name: Alixandria Kara Andres (also goes by ‘Alix’ [but only with her permission] & the lesser-used A.K.A.)

Real Name: ???

Species: Shinigami (former human); Shinigami-human hybrid

Height: About the same as Ryuk/Rem (so somewhere between 6-7′’?)

Weight: Do Shinigami even have weight? They float most of the time, so... Screw it, let’s go with about 90 Ibs.

Shinigami Rank: 14 (lowest of the low; reserved only for hybrids)

Gender: Female

Likes: Flying, meditating, being in control

Dislikes: Being bossed around, sensory deprivation.

Intelligence: 6/10

Inquisitiveness: 8/10

Initiative: 8/10

Empathy: 10/10

Kills: 6/10

Appearance: Alix is very skinny, with pale, almost sickly looking skin that stretches tight over her bones. She has scraggly hair that just reaches her shoulders; although it looks black, when exposed to light, you can see it’s actually a very dark brown. Her eyes are very similar to a snake’s, with black pupils that narrow into slits when she’s angry, while the rest of her eyes are bright red. She has spidery fingers with very sharp, long black nails.

She wears a black mask with a white smudge under each eye over the top half of her face (so, from her forehead to the bridge of her nose). The mask is sewn into her skin and causes her extreme pain if anyone tries to remove it. She’s had the mask for as long as she can remember.

All of her clothes are black and tattered. She wears a long-sleeved shirt, pants, shoes, fingerless gloves, and a very long scarf she keeps around her neck and mouth at all times (she only ever lowers it to eat, revealing razor sharp teeth) plus a belt for her Death Note.

She has a list of every person she’s ever killed carved into her left forearm, adding to it with each human she kills.

Powers/Abilities: Like other Shinigami, Alix can fly (her wings are covered with black feathers, each wing being about 7 feet long & about 5 feet tall), can dematerialize her physical body at will (become transparent/move through walls), and is very nearly immortal/indestructible (she can only die if she doesn’t write enough names in her Death Note or if the King kills her). However, she does have the ability to mimic any voice she hears, which no other Shinigami has. Her normal speaking voice is not the one she had as a human, and she claims she doesn’t know how she got it; although, there’s a rumor among the other Shinigami that it was because she screamed so much during her initial transformation that she lost her original voice entirely, so the King had to give her a new one. She’s also quite strong and has experience in hand-to-hand combat, along with a very high pain tolerance.

Personality: Alix usually keeps to herself, avoiding other Shinigami due to hybrids having the lowest social status and preferring not to speak unless spoken to or if she has something she wants to say. This doesn’t mean she’s timid or afraid of social situations, she just knows when it’s best to keep her mouth shut. She can actually be quite sassy towards those she doesn’t consider a threat (mainly humans & some of the lazier Shinigami). She particularly enjoys teasing and messing with humans (especially Mello); if she’s around a human she knows can’t see her, she’ll often touch them or move random objects to freak them out. She has a dark sense of humor and often laughs at her own jokes. She’ll often try to defuse tense situations (or intentionally make them worse) with a witty remark.

Alix believes in manners to some extent; if you treat her with respect, she’ll do the same to you, even if she doesn’t really like/hates you...but if you disrespect her, you better believe she’s gonna disrespect you (at least behind your back), especially if you’re a human. She’s already taken a ton of shit from other Shinigami, so you bet your ass she won’t take any from a human and will quickly reprimand said human by either reminding them that she can kill them at any time, smacking them upside the head, or dangling them out of a seven story window until they apologize (depending on how disrespectful the human was to her). While she does respect other’s abilities (such as intelligence, physical strength, attractiveness, etc.) she will mouth off to them if she doesn’t care much for them and/or to get a reaction.

Although she’d never admit it, Alix is rather protective of the few people she likes (not enough to actually risk her own neck for them--at least not intentionally--but she still cares about them) and will sometimes help them if they’re in danger or give them useful advice.

She doesn’t remember much about her past life and chooses not to think about it much. The only things she can remember are the songs she heard as a human, many of which she knows by heart. If left alone, she’ll often sing to herself using various voices.

She’s usually very calm and collected, but can lose her temper if something really pisses her off, or will purposely lash out to take control of a situation/intimidate humans.

She despises the Shinigami Realm and most other Shinigami (especially the Shinigami King) and wishes more than anything else to return to the human world, but the only time Shinigami are allowed to go to the human world is to retrieve a lost Death Note. While she has considered dropping her Death Note & using it as an excuse to go back, she always ends up deciding against it. Her Death Note is one of the few things she has that she considers hers’ and hers’ alone; she can’t stand the idea of anyone else using it, especially evil humans that would use it for their own gain (so naturally, when she finds out that it was her notebook being used by Kira all this time, she’s a bit...upset). She also believes the Death Note is a curse that shouldn’t be in the hands of any human and that no one deserves the pain & madness it brings.

History: Alix is a very rare form of Shinigami known as a hybrid; a Shinigami created from the soul of a deceased human (we’ll just pretend that ‘The all humans go to MU’ rule doesn’t exist). The only other hybrid aside from herself is Beyond Birthday (whom in this universe was successful in his suicide attempt in ‘Another Note’). Her and Beyond are the first hybrids to be created in nearly a thousand years, a fact made more amazing in that they were created only a year apart from each other (Beyond being the first & Alix the second), whereas past hybrids would be created once every hundred years or so. Hybrids are not considered to be ‘real shinigami’ by the rest of Shinigami society, so she and BB are often subjected to scorn & ridicule.

After she was created, Alix was given a Death Note by the Shinigami King. Still having some of her humanity, she was rather hesitant to use it, but eventually went along with it after learning that she needs to live off the lifespans of humans in order to survive. She knows what she does is wrong, so she tries to kill humans as quickly and painlessly as possible (with the occasional exception...). After killing enough humans to last her a couple years, Alix hid the Death Note so she wouldn’t be tempted by it again.

For years, Alix hung out with Beyond, whom she soon met after her creation. While the two aren’t really friends, they are the only hybrids in existence and keeping each other company is better than having no company at all. Eventually Beyond told her his story, including details about L, Wammy’s, & the successors (unlike Alix, B remembers his past life perfectly).

When she found out her Death Note had been stolen and was being used by Kira, she immediately went to the human world to retrieve it. After forcing Ryuk to help her, she eventually found her way to the mafia’s hideout, where she was stunned to discover that one of the successors Beyond had told her about (Mello) is the one currently possessing her notebook. She soon introduces herself to him and the other mobsters, while also telling them about the fake rules. While the two don’t get along very well at first, Alix nearly strangling Mello when he first orders her to keep watch outside, she can’t deny that she’s deeply infatuated fascinated by him.

About a month goes by, with Alix keeping watch outside the hideout & answering questions about the Death Note in exchange for chocolate. One night, she visits Mello in his room and reveals to him the existence of Shinigami-hybrids and that Beyond Birthday is one of them. Mello quickly figures out that she’s other hybrid, to which she readily admits to (she hadn’t told him right away because she wanted to see if he was as smart as Beyond had said). During their conversation, Mello expresses what seems to be genuine sympathy regarding Alix’s situation; she can’t tell if he’s serious or if he’s emotionally manipulating her. Either way, she ends up feeling closer to him as a person.

The next night Alix is visited by Ryuk, who informs her that the Japanese Task Force are going to raid the hideout and that as long as she doesn’t interfere, she’ll get her Death Note back. She agrees to it, but feels a bit guilty as the building is seized while also realizing (to her dismay) that she truly cares for Mello’s well-being. After the place blows up, she goes down to ‘look for her notebook’ and rescues Mello, hiding him from the others and helping him call Matt.

Once she has her Death Note back, she waits with an unconscious Mello for Matt to pick him up, singing to him as he whimpers in pain. She briefly considers killing Light Yagami (whom she already knew was Kira) with her Death Note but decides against it, believing that it wouldn’t be fair to the humans trying so hard to catch him.

Matt recovers the injured Mello and she follows them to his apartment, revealing herself to Matt & explaining the situation to him the next day. She offers to help the two catch Kira and they agree, but only on the condition that they do most of the work.

Relationships:

Mello- He is unlike any human Alix has ever encountered, and while she can’t stand certain aspects of his personality/methods, she can’t help but respect and be fascinated by him. She also finds him physically attractive (a fact that drives her up the wall), but she claims this is because she hasn’t seen a decent looking man in years; it’s not like she finds him attractive as a person or anything! He is the only human who met her without warning and didn’t scream.

Whether or not Mello sees Alix as a friend, a pawn, or even both is unknown. He is aware of her ‘attraction’ to him and occasionally teases her about it (not often though, since the last time he did she punched him in the face and nearly tossed him out the window).

Alix often teases Mello by calling him ‘Pretty Boy’ and while she does enjoy the way the nickname gets under his skin, she also means it as a genuine compliment (although she’d be hard pressed to admit it to anybody).

Matt- Matt is the first human Alix encountered that she liked right away. He treats her like a human being and actually finds her abilities cool rather than disturbing (sometimes when they’re alone, Alix will make Pokémon noises for him; he jumps up & down like a little kid every time). He teaches her how to play some of his video games and lets her sing along while he plays his ocarina. Like Mello before him, Matt gives his condolences when Alix tells him about her former humanity.

Whenever Matt gets tired from watching all the security cameras, Alix will take over for him and let him rest, much to Mello’s anger (she tells him to go f*ck himself every time and that he’s lucky to even have a friend like Matt in the first place).

Kira- Alix doesn’t deny that she is a Kira sympathizer. Just like Light, she tried to make the best of her new power by using her Death Note for ‘good’ by killing people she believed the world would be better off without. She often switches from hating Kira and his followers to just feeling sorry for them; she understands where they’re coming from, but believes the power of the notebook should only be handled by Shinigami, who don’t usually have an agenda regarding who they kill.

She sometimes look at Light the way a parent will look at a child who had a lot of potential but ended up blowing it all to sh!t. She feels responsible for Kira’s reign, seeing as how it was her ‘cowardice & negligence’ to her ‘duties as a shinigami’ that started the whole thing, and intends to kill Light once he’s been exposed.

Near & the SPK- Since she can’t spy on Kira without the risk of Ryuk seeing her & possibly telling Light, Mello has Alix keep tabs on the SPK. Alix is greatly disturbed by Near due to him being the only human she can’t get a read on, which she often hides with scorn & distaste; she senses there’s a deeper reason for her being uncomfortable around Near, but she can’t quite figure out what. Eventually, she begins to grow more comfortable around him and starts to care about tolerate him.

Alix has a soft spot for Hal, admiring her abilities along with being the only human woman she can tolerate. However, she can’t help but nearly vomit every time she flirts with Mello.

Beyond Birthday- Let’s just say it’s complicated...

I plan to update this as the story progresses, but I think I’m good for now. Thanks for looking & let me know if you wanna rp. Ciao! ^^

#death note #Righteous Side of Hell #A.K.A #need to know #character profile #OC #mary sue

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sunshineweb · 4 years

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You Lost Your Job, Now What?

My cousin, age 40, married, with two kids, working with a Delhi-based start-up at a decent seven-digit salary, just lost his job!

With no cash flow to sustain operations owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the economy, the start-up is on the verge of closing shop. To say the least, my cousin was unprepared for this.

We have been more like great friends over the years, and so he called seeking my advice. What follows below is part of the detailed email (edited for personal stuff) I sent him about how he can deal with the sudden loss of income and livelihood, and how he may move forward.

I don’t have an experience of getting fired at job but I have been through almost similar uncertainty and sudden loss of income after quitting my job in 2011.

The reason I am sharing this with you is because, given how things are falling apart all around (Uber just fired 3700 people, all at one go, on a Zoom call!), I thought the advice may benefit you or someone close to you who is facing a similar predicament either through a job loss, salary cut, loss of business income, or even complete closure of business.

I am not a financial advisor. What follows below is plain, simple advice that I offered to my brother. Nothing more, nothing less.

* * * from: Vishal Khandelwal to: XXXXXXXX date: May 14, 2020, 10:27 AM subject: Lost Your Job? Now Don’t Lose Yourself

Dear Brother,

Trust you are feeling fine and keeping safe.

It was nice talking to you. I am sorry to know about your job loss, but as they say, sh*t happens!

Anyways, before I share what I think you can do to deal with the situation and also a way to move ahead, let me quote Nassim Taleb who said that the three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.

So, knowing that you don’t do heroin and eat less carbs, let me congratulate you for you can finally get over your addiction of the monthly salary, at least for the time being.

Coming to my advice, some of which I already offered to you on phone, here it is –

1. Being fired at work is among life’s most stressful events. And so, my first line of advice is not financial, but emotional. Millions of people around the world have lost their jobs, or are on the verge of doing so, and so you are not alone. There is no doubt an unexpected job loss can rock your world, but it can also prove to be an experience that helps you grow and leads you to a new and better work and life ahead.

A job loss, even if it looks unexpected, is not a one-time event. It often involves the stages of denial, then anger, then bargaining, then depression, and finally acceptance. These are the five stages of grief, and a job loss must go through these as well.

I know you have been struck by grief. Now, I may sound a bit harsh, but you have two options to deal with these stages – one, you head fast from denial or anger towards acceptance, because that is the place you will anyways end up (moving fast will be less painful), or two, you take your time, keep ruing your situation, and go slow (more painful, simply because emotions will be involved for a greater amount of time).

Also, remember that the longer you take to come out of the situation emotionally, the greater and worse emotional issues you will impose upon your near and dear ones, especially your spouse, parents, and kids. So, better you get over the emotional hangover of a job loss soon.

Cry at times if you want, but please do not break. Acknowledge your emotions, then move on. Whenever you find yourself alone and struggling, talk to your spouse and/or your best friend. They can provide you comfort and encouragement and help you reign in those negative emotions.

2. My second advice is financial. The financial impact of job loss is probably the toughest challenge to face during this time, and so it is critical for you to develop a plan that reduces as much financial stress on you and your family as possible. Here are a few steps you may want to take to deal with such an unexpected event, so that you don’t end up making any desperate decisions –

List down all money you have in the form of household savings and any income that you may earn through severance; plus any income your spouse may be earning. Then list down all your expenses – food, rent, EMIs, utilities (power, gas, Internet, phone), transportation, educational expenses, insurance premiums, credit cards, eating out, shopping, other monthly payments and expenses, etc., along with any new expenses. Then go through your expenses one by one, cut out all non-essential lifestyle-related items, and find ways to lower even the essential ones that you can. Simply put, analyse your variable expenses well, and find ways of doing away with some of them. Focus on both the large and small expenses, because holes, small or large, can sink a ship.

Dip into your emergency savings to meet your living expenses. But be miser in using that too. Even if you thought earlier that that fund was good for 6-8 months, work on a lean budget so that the fund runs for, maybe, 10-12 months. Maybe! I know a lot of people who are used to saving regularly have a hard time dipping into emergency savings but surviving a period of unemployment is exactly why you have been saving this money. When you are back on your feet again, and I’m sure you will soon, you can replenish the funds. But for now, your emergency savings can be put to good use.

Hide that credit card please! Do not, I repeat, do not assume that you can use that Gold or Platinum card to defer cash outflow by 50-60 days. After a job loss, if you will not buy something on cash, please, please, please do not use your credit card for that. It will be a financial disaster, given the uncertainty around your future income and the interest rates that get charged on deferred credit card payments. Question each expense real hard.

Stop your SIPs or other new investment if need be. But do not sell your investments if you have enough cash as emergency fund that can last you 6-8 months or more (such is an emergency for which emergency funds need to be created). If you have a credit card payment pending, use your savings to pay that off. But remember, the idea for now is to free up your cash flows, instead of spending or investing it away. Still, re-evaluate your existing investments. If you have to spend more than your emergency funds, assuming you don’t create another source of income within the next 10-12 months, you may have to dip into your investments. So, re-evaluate now which ones you would redeem first.

Check your health and life insurance. If your ex-employer provided these, and you did not have them personally, try to get them now. Without an ongoing income, insurance companies may seek greater number of proofs from you (like IT returns etc.) but having health and life insurance policies is a must, former for every member of the family and latter for the earning member. Especially, if a health emergency strikes at these times, and you are not covered, it may eat up your emergency fund faster than you would have envisaged.

Evaluate your debt if you have any. Start by prioritising repayment of higher cost debt, like credit card debt or personal loan. Call you bank and ask for some relief on your EMI payments. Interest will still accrue but you will not be fined for missing payments for around two months, depending on your bank’s policies. Especially in these uncertain times, it is important for you to really know where you stand financially, and assessing your liabilities is one of the most important things you would do, largely because a third party is involved here who may not understand or appreciate enough what you may be going through.

Ask for help when you need it. Do not shy away from it. Asking your spouse, or parents to chip with monetary, if they can, and non-monetary help is a good idea. Also seek the services of a good, honest financial advisor, if you think you cannot get your head around the financial situation. The advisor can help you set a budget, optimise your spending, and give you some clear-headed advice on cash, debt and investments.

3. My next advice is social. There is no point in not accepting that you have lost your source of income (for time being), and thus don’t shy away from explaining to your friends or family that you need to cut back right now. By eliminating social expenses like eating out or attending parties that may be avoided, you can free up cash to cover your essentials and also keep yourself from racking up new credit card debt, which will cause more financial stress.

4. Final advice – start preparing for the future, right away. Ask people you know of, maybe your ex-boss or ex-colleague for work options. A job loss can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe this is the time to start work on that start-up you always wanted to start up, of course after taking into account your financial standing. If you are a bit creative, or have a lot of experience under your belt, you can seek opportunities in the gig economy where you can find work under short-term contracts or freelance work. Spend time learning or honing a skill that people may pay for. The idea is to reach out as much as possible, towards people and opportunities that may help you come out of this crisis sooner. Spend no time in the vortex of desperation. Keep thinking about and working on ideas.

As the famous singer Bob Marley said –

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Seriously, you have no choice but to stop regretting what has happened in the past and stop worrying what may happen in the future but only focus on what you can do now.

Here, I also remember what Viktor Frankl wrote in his seminal book Man’s Search for Meaning –

…everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.

It is not the end of world, believe me. Plus, almost everyone is facing some or the other trouble and you are not alone in it. So, don’t ever feel that way.

Just be thankful for everything you have now – a supportive family, emergency funds, savings, roof on head, food on plate, and skills you can improve upon to earn money in the future – and just get started again.

Treat the day of your job loss as the first day of the rest of your life. Start afresh. Make it count.

You can do it!

Love and a shoulder to rest upon, Vishal

* * * That’s about it from me for today.

If you liked this post and know someone who you think may benefit from it, please share with them on WhatsApp, Twitter, or just email them the link to this post.

Stay safe.

With respect, — Vishal

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